adding bonus room above garage???

[gfully1]

Hi All, I'm new to the forum...sending out a question for anyone who has had experience with this or thinks I am crazy!

I have just bought a 27yr old Cape Cod home and would like to put a 4th bedroom over an existing 2car garage. The attic has enough space and would be able to enter the room by punching a door through the end of the upstairs hallway. The attic above the garage is open, I wouldn't have to move any trusses, big enough open area. I imagine I would have to strengthen my joists and put in a dormer for added room and light. Seperate air conditioning unit and gas fireplace/electric base boards for heat would be used.

Any thoughts?

[gfully1]

Oh yeah, would I need blueprints drawn up, or could my contractor do the work without?

[jnaas2]

Is the garage trussed or stick framed, either way they wont cary the weight of a live load. Have a structural engineer or good contractor that knows how to use the charts in the code book for floor joist sizing.

[HayZee518]

also your being in massachusetts check the building code - I think you need three inches of concrete for the ceiling above a garage.
look at mass code article 413.1. table 706 for distributed live loads

[gfully1]

Thanks for the replies, I guess I am opening up a rats nest! Finishing the basement would probably be cheaper and more spacious.

I will have my contractor look into the possibility and check the code for the application up here (Ontario, Canada).

[HayZee518]

Ontario's code will have no bearing on your Massachusetts property

[gfully1]

moving forward

We have found our contractor and are going ahead with the job. The joists will be supported with a steel I-beam inside the garage and bridged for more support. All said and done with two rooms (guest room and an office) completely finished including paint and taxes, just under $20K Canadian. Is this too much for the size of the area? Nothing really fancy, no plumbing or really crazy as far as design.

[Kman]

Hard to tell on the price, since prices vary so much with respect to location, as well as all the details relevant to your addition.

What type of flooring are you planning for your rooms? Depending on the joists and subfloor, you may be limited on what will work.